i MUST read these books before the end of the year! 📅 📚

Don't panic, it is not quite the end of the year yet. All will be explained in just a second. Hello everyone, it's Megan. Welcome if you're new, but I'm guessing if you're watching this video you're probably not. So, this is the end of the year book tag. Here's the thing, usually I do this video in probably about a month's time, in like October time. However, this year there's a multitude of things going on here. I have planned out all my content for the rest of the year already. I know what I'm reading for the rest of the year. There's a few videos where I have a bit of choice, a little bit of control in what I'm choosing. But often I don't and often it's pretty much set what I'm reading for the rest of the year. So, I kind of wanted to do this video to get into the end of the year. Also, it kind of feels like September back to school time. Like this is everyone's calling it the great lock-in of September to December. So, for me this just kind of feels like the headspace I'm in right now. Also, I am going away in December. I actually haven't mentioned this yet. Maybe we should just a quick aside now. I'm gonna be away for like three weeks in December. I'm gonna be away over Christmas. Me and my family are going to Florida to go on rides and go Universal Parks. I'm so excited. I'm gonna go epic Universe. Hon, if you could make this real quick because I've got a flight to catch. So, if you're interested, I would just love to know what... How should I vlog that guys? This is something I've been thinking about a lot. I'm gonna ask on Instagram and I'll probably ask again somewhere more formally. But like, do we want daily vlogs? I love watching people's like Florida daily vlogs. But that's when they probably have like a travel audience, right? Like a Florida, Universal Parks, Disney Parks, whatever. We're only going to Hollywood Studios and Disney Parks. We're mainly doing Universal on this trip. You know, that's when they have that audience. Like, would you guys actually be interested in that? Or should I do like one vlog? But then that's crazy. Or should I do like vlogs every like three, four days kind of combined? I don't know. Should I just do a reading vlog when I'm out there? I don't know. But that does mean that like there's a big chunk at the end of the year. I don't know if I'm gonna be reading whilst I'm there. If I am, I think I'm just gonna be rereading favorites. I think that's the vibe that I'm gonna want on holiday. So that accelerates my kind of end of year a little bit. So I thought we'd do the end of year book tag today. I also just want to say that... Sorry, I know I'm rambling before we get into the tag, which is a not very good YouTuber-ness of me. I am throwing this video in. I wanted a quick, fun, TBR kind of style video to do for you guys because I am working on a really big vlog project. I want to get more into like video essay style stuff, but like really well researched. Lots of interviews in them. And I've got this big project that I've been working on for weeks and weeks and weeks. And things have pushed it back. I was supposed to go up on Sunday, but like we had a huge leak in our house. Like huge water cascading out of the ceiling. We don't need to get into that now. I haven't got it in me. I'm exhausted. I'm in shock. And I am traumatized. But get excited because that video will definitely be out this weekend and it's hopefully going to be really, really good. Okay, let's get into the tag. This is made by Ariel Bessette, who I love her podcast Books Unbound. And the fact that it's made by Ariel is very relevant to this first question because the first question is, are there any books you started this year and that you need to finish? Because Ariel is a big starting book, so not finishing them, just putting them down. It's a very Ariel question. And if you guys know me, you know that's very not me. I start a book and I finish it. I very rarely DNF and I very, very rarely soft DNF. I do one a year, I think is what I said in last year's video, and I've done one this year. And so this is my only answer. This is the only book I've started and not finished, other than like the book I'm currently reading, I guess. But my answer is The Lie Tree by Frances Harding. But I'm going to be honest with you, I don't know if I'm going to read this before the end of the year. So like really bad question for me to start off with. Really terrible, terrible question for me. You know, I did start this in the video and I've loved Frances Harding's work before, but this just wasn't working for me in the moment. Honestly, I can't even remember. It's like a girl historical kind of vibe and like she finds a disgraced father's journal filled with the notes and theories of a man driven close to madness. It just wasn't doing it for me. It felt very slow, the opening of this. But I want to love a Frances Harding book because I read A Skin Full of Shadows by Frances Harding years ago. Like we're talking years ago. Haven't read one since. But immediately after reading that, I bought like four of her books. And I never do that. But I was like, I have to read her entire backlist. So I've got quite a few over there to work my way through. But yeah, not the most fun first question because there's this book, there's the other one I've stopped doing now, might not read it before the end of the year. Let's get into things I'm actually reading. The next question is, do you have an autumnal book to transition you into the second half of the year? I have a few answers for this. Firstly, a lot of you watched and enjoyed my vlog that I did a couple of weeks ago where I was reading fantasy books until I found a five star. And I mentioned this is going to be like a mini series within TBR200 where we like, we're getting the TBR down, but in genre specific way. So that was the first of those videos. And then I'm going to be doing this autumn, The Mysteries. The Mysteries, they're here on this shelf. We have a lot of them. I think I'm also gonna be doing thrillers as well. So I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to be reading for that vlog. I'm thinking, I'm definitely fancying A Perilous Undertaking, the second Veronica Speedwell that I think will be in that vlog. But I really don't know. But for me, mysteries, murder mysteries are so autumnal. Like they, October, November is, particularly November actually, but October, November is murder mystery season for me. It is murder mystery season. And so I cannot wait. And also then I'm going to be reading Goodreads Choice Awards mystery thriller books in like November, December. And that will be super like seasonal and autumnal for me. So there's just gonna be a lot of mysteries read by the end of the year. I don't know specifically which ones because in that vlog, I will probably let myself mood read. Like I said, I think I'm gonna read that, Perilous Undertaking. I'm also planning on reading, I didn't grab it, but Death Comes to Marlowe, the second in the Marlowe Murder Club series. So those are ones that I'm pretty sure I'm gonna read. But like, who knows what will be five star. We've got to keep going until we get a five star. And actually for me, I will talk about this when I do the video, but like mysteries are really, really, really hard to get a five star. Like I love them. They're my favourite genre, but it means I'm so picky. I'm incredibly picky when it comes to mysteries. So yeah, I feel like that video though will be like really great autumn vibes. And then I do have two other books actually that I want to mention. This first one might not seem overly autumnal to begin with, but let me explain. So for my patron book club this month in September, you can always join down below if you wish. We are gonna be reading Unruly by David Mitchell, A History of England's Kings and Queens. And like I kind of mentioned earlier, like autumn is synonymous with September, back to school. And just reading this this month makes me feel like I'm going back to school, right? I love learning about kings and queens at school. I love Tudor era. I love Victorian era. Although this, when does this go up to? He goes up to, it's more like actually older kings, like pre, there's quite a lot of pre William I kings that we've got in here. Okay, so this goes up to the Tudors. This ends with Queen Elizabeth I. So perfect, perfect, perfect. I'm so excited to read this. Just to me, this feels autumnal. Learning, nonfiction, learning about kings and queens feels incredibly like back to school, autumnal for me. And then one that I've been meaning to get to for ages, like this is one of the books in my TBR I would most like to read. I remember when this was super popular and everyone was reading it and I wanna know what I think of it, but it is long. So it has intimidated me, but I am gonna read it this autumn, is Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth. It's big. It's a chonky boy, but this sounds fascinating. So there's this school for girls where there was a famous deaths, tragic deaths that happened. And now in present day, there is a film being made. I'm not sure if it's a documentary or if it's a fictional film. Something tells me it's like a fictional film that's being made at the school. And I think we've got split timeline. There's a lot going on. There's footnotes, there's illustrations. I just have great feeling. I think this could be a five star for me. People have told me, just Megan, I think that might give you five star vibes. And I agree. It's long. I do think I like a long book. They scare me, but when I read them, the amount of depth you can get in two and a 600 page book, it's just great, isn't it? I love a school for girls setting. I love Hollywood and like, you know, film in fiction as well. So I have great feelings about this. And I just think it's like, everyone puts this on their fall TBRs or like autumn recommendation books. The next question is, do you have a new release you're still waiting for? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, I do. Let's mention a few. First, we have We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman. Guess what? I'm getting my hands on it tonight. Guess what? I'm gonna meet Richard. I actually saw him last night at an event that I went to for his podcast. I'm having a double Richard today. Like, it's crazy. And then tonight I'm going to a talk with him and Lucy Foley. So sorry. Him and Richard. I can't breathe. Oh my God. I'm so excited. I'm gonna meet my man. I'm gonna meet him and I get my hands on his new book tonight. So I can't wait to read that. I usually do save that for the Goodreads Choice Awards because he is usually always nominated. I will rue the day if he's not nominated and I don't read it, I'll be so mad at myself. But he is usually nominated. So I'll probably save that for that video so I have like at least something in the top 10 that I'm looking forward to reading. I also want to give shout outs to Serenity Falls by CJ Tudor. This is just a synopsis that I keep coming back to. You're in this kind of like idyllic suburbia but there's weird things. There's weird little things going on. Just off kilter. You know, ever so slightly. Sometimes I think that's creepier than like in your face horror. Sometimes things start just being slightly off kilter to the human brain. It's even scarier. So I keep coming back to that one. I would really love to get my hands on that. Hollywood Ending by John Green. I just, I love a John Green. I am a John Green raised girly. You know, I read all of his fiction when I was younger. I've loved the nonfiction he's been doing. I just think Hollywood Ending is going to be so good. And like I say, I love film, Hollywood, famous people in fiction. I like reading about that. I know not everyone does, but I do. And so I just think an adult debut. Oh my God, it just gets better and better. Adult fiction debut from John Green. I almost can't take it. So I would really love to get my hands on that one before the end of the year as well. And then I just want to give a shout out. This book is out, but I've been on a book buying. I kind of forget that my book buying ban is over, but let's just keep it going. I was on a book buying ban for June, July, August. I didn't buy any books. I didn't buy any books in June, July and August. And obviously it's over now, but I'm still not buying any books. Let's just keep it going. Well, I guess I've bought We Chase Shadows today. With my ticket to go see Richard again. And Lucy, and Lucy. Although her book, no, I can't say this in public yet, can I? I think I'm going to be getting her book in a different way. I'm going to get Lucy. I think it's in a box that I'm getting. A book box. I won't say which one. But you can make the, you can make the link. Her new one, her Miss Marple one with the Agatha Christie essay is super exciting. Anyways, what was I saying? Yes, I could buy a book now. I am allowed, I'm allowed. My book buying ban is over. If I could get one new release, I would really, really, really love to get Meet Me in the Garden by Nina LaCour. I keep thinking about this one. It just can't get out of my head. The reviews have been incredible. It is, I think, sisters who live in New Orleans, I think. And one is white passing and one isn't. And we're following their story. It's a family saga. I think it's incredibly emotional and heavy hitting. I, Nina LaCour's a bit of a sleeper hit for me. I think I've given her at least two five stars, right? I've given Watch Over Me five stars. And I feel like I've given Yabba Bunna five stars. So yeah, I think she's a little bit of a sleeper hit for me, Miss Nina. And so I would really love to get my hands on that one. Next question is, what are three books you want to read for the end of the year? I have tried to be intentional with this and pick books that I really want to read. But I am like 99% sure I am going to read before the end of the year. Because like I say, my reading is pretty determined. When I say I haven't bought any books, I have bought this book, but it's for a video. So I actually did just buy like five books. But I did tell a bit of a lie there. At the start of September. But they were all for videos. They weren't like me mood shopping or like buying something just because I wanted it. They were for a reading vlog. And one of them is Yesteryear by Carrie Clare Burke. Listen, I'm late to the party now. I was not. I was shouting from the rooftops about this book before it came out. And then I just haven't had a chance to read it. But I'm so excited to read this. You all know what this is about, right? This is the buzziest book of the year. But you've got this woman who presents this curated artificial life of being a trad wife on Instagram, profits off it, wakes up. She's back in the time of trad wives. And she actually has to live as one without the help, without all the staff that she has in real life. I am so intrigued to see what I think of this one. I've just got to be part of the conversation. I got to know what's going on. And yeah, it's been like the buzziest book of the year. So I cannot wait to sink my teeth into this one. I think it's going to be great. Then speaking of Miss Marple earlier, I really want to read that Lucy Foley Miss Marple book. But I've never read Miss Marple. Are you not ashamed of yourself? I've never read a Miss Marple. And I feel like I need to read at least like two or three Marples before I read that Lucy Foley book to really understand what she's doing and what she's playing with and what she's referencing. So the first Marple is The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie. And I just love my edition. It's so beautiful. These are, like you guys know, if you've been here a long time, these are the only things I collect. These special cloth-bound Agatha Christie's. And this is one of my favourites. And I'm just really excited to see what I think of Miss Marple. How the writing differs from a Praro. I've been actually recommended, like obviously I'm reading the Praros in publication order, but you don't have to. You don't have to do that if you're a sicko like me. But I have heard the Marples are actually really good to read in order because they show kind of some shifting societal context and beliefs and expectations at the time. So I can't wait. I can't wait. I need to read Murder at the Vicarage. I mean, it's easy and Agatha is easy. So I cannot wait for that. And then one of the oldest books in my TBR is Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood. And I did start a video that this book was supposed to be in earlier in the year, but it was when life was a bit hard and it was a really, really intimidating video. And this book is intimidating. And I made it. Let's see. I actually made it 100 pages in. In my brain, I did not make it 100 pages in. I'm going to have to start that all over again. But I made it 100 pages in. Like, oh, I soft DNF'd this. Okay. That's a second book we soft DNF'd. So this is one I actually am going to be finishing. Okay. There we go. We've got an answer for the first question. So listen, before I made Booktube, I was reading multiple Margaret Atwoods. I love Margaret Atwoods. I love The Handmaid's Tale. I love The Heart Goes Last. I love The Blind Assassin. Like, I love a Margaret Atwood. And then I just haven't read any. Literally in like six, seven years, I've started my channel. In fact, I think it's like my channel birthday for seven years. In September. That's crazy. Seven years. It's my birthday. Happy birthday to me. But I would really love to get to this before the end of the year. I am going to. The next question is, what trends have you noticed in your reading this year? So the big trend is I've read the last book. I've read the last books. I've read, I think I'm under 50 or I'm around the 50. I think I'm around the 50 mark. So I don't even think I'm probably going to crack 100 this year, which is kind of crazy. But life has been crazy. I've got ******* cascading waterfall through my kitchen ceiling, you know, like a lot. If you've been a regular here, you know a lot has happened this year with moving out and moving in here and cats and oh God, all of it. I've read less books. But what is intriguing to me, my average rating is higher than it's been in years. It's 3.7. It's been like 3.6 or below for the last few years. It used to always be 3.7. So my average rating is higher than it has been. I've got a lot of 4s and 4.5s, but I have very few 5s. I've only had four or five stars. Crazy. Only four or five stars so far this year. We need more. Like I need a top 10. It's crazy. I need at least 10, five stars before the year is out. So that's just an interesting dynamic to me, to like have a high average rating, higher average rating than usual, but not many five stars. So a lot of what I'm reading, I'm enjoying. I'm giving four or 4.5. Like I'm really having a great time when reading it, but I'm not finding that elusive five star. And I fear I'm just becoming pickier than ever with what is a five star. I think a book has to do something really unusual, really special for me to give it a five star. Like I could read kind of your bog standard thriller, perhaps, and find what it's doing. Say it's doing what it needs to do perfectly, right? But for me, I don't know if that would ever be a five star because when I look at my five stars, they are pushing boundaries. They're doing something new. They're doing something that no one's done before. And so I mean, it's hard to find those books, right? It's hard to find these special books. But I'm hoping that we're going to get an avalanche of five stars towards the end of this year. Next question is not super relevant to me. It's how do you feel about your reading goals? Anything you want to change, adjust or abandon? I didn't set any reading goals this year, purposely, not even a number goal. My number goal was one on Goodreads. I just didn't want to set any goals. I didn't feel like I wanted to change anything about my reading, right? I feel like my reading is the thing I'm happiest with in my life. Like, do I want to set some lifestyle goals? Yeah. Do I want to set some health goals? Yeah. Do I want to set reading goals? No. I think I've got that ---- on lock, you know what I mean? I'm very happy with my reading, with what I'm reading, with the, I mean, I guess the only goal was like make progress in the TBR, getting the TBR down, which I feel like I'm really doing. We're into the 270s now. That's crazy. I don't know the last time we're in the 270s. I would love to get it below, like, I think we'll get below the 250 mark before the end of the year. That would be really, really great. And just, I guess, to keep this conversation going, have you already started making reading plans for next year? I think it will just still be focusing on getting that TBR down. Like, it needs to get down. I think we'll get below the 200 next year. I don't think it's not going to happen this year. That's 70 bucks. But I mean, obviously I can DNF some, but I think we'll get below the 200. So that will still be a huge focus for my reading next year. And I think I would just want that to let me have a bit more freedom then with my reading. By getting the TBR down, I then feel like I can kind of go into bookshops and pick a random book up. That's not something I really ever do. Like, pick a book up that I've never heard of. For me, if I'm buying a book, if I'm picking a book up, I feel like it has to have, like, to be worthy, it should be on my most anticipated releases list. But there is also something special about picking a book up in person, on a whim, just because it sounded great. And I don't really do that anymore. And also I am just less plugged into new releases than I have previously been. I'm still pretty plugged in. But I just know for myself, I've previously been more plugged in because I've been so locked in on the TBR this year, I didn't want to... I didn't want to have temptation. So sometimes I wasn't really like... I've been watching a lot of BookTube as always, but sometimes I'm kind of not listening to, like, what they think of the... the... I'm not letting them influence me to read the book, if that makes sense. I've kind of turned that part of my brain off. So yeah, I would like to get more plugged into new releases again and kind of just be able to go to a bookshop and pick something random up, which is kind of crazy. Anyways, that's my end of year book tag. I'm off on holiday for December, so this year is a lot more condensed, the end of the year. But hopefully we're still going to get some incredible reading done before the end of it. So yeah, let me know your answers to any of these questions, if you've thought of them. But thank you so much for watching and I'll see you very soon in another video. Bye!